What a Wonderful Life, Port Charles
by Winchestergurl4life
Summary: After a disastrous event, Johnny Zarcharra wishes he had never existed feeling that he is responsible for it. And his guardian angel, Castiel, decides to show him what life would have been like for those around him if he truly hadn't been born.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. This is for amusement, not for profit purposes. We hope that you all enjoy.

Summary: After a disastrous event, Johnny Zarcharra wishes he had never existed feeling that he is responsible for it. And his guardian angel, Castiel, decides to show him what life would have been like for those around him if he truly hadn't been born.

Pairings: Gejo, Liason

Inspiration: "What a Wonderful Life" movie is the inspiration.

* * *

 **What A Wonderful Life, Port Charles**

 **By ThroughtheMirrorDarkly**

* * *

 **Part 1 of 2**

 _In a white, ethereal plane of existence there were beings, known as angels, that watched dutifully over the fragile, but precious human lives below. Today an angel by the name of Castiel watched over a fellow named Johnny Zacharra. "I do not understand," Castiel commented, a bemused feeling coming off his incorporeal form. Angels did not wear vessels of flesh on this plane of existence, and were instead figures of light that if seen in their true form would burn the sight of the eyes of everyone, save for those of pure of heart like the good Father above. "This human does not seem in need of aid. He seems to have a charmed life, even if he is morally ambiguous with his choices."_

 _His superior, Sarafina, took his doubts in stride. "His life will take a sour turn, and the happiness that is so precious will be tested by doubt. If he falters, it will not only be his life that falls into despair."_

" _What am I to do?" Castiel questioned._

" _Show him that faith is stronger than the doubt that tests it. Show him that his life does matter, and though he despairs that he blackens all that he touches, that he brings more light into the world than he knows."_

* * *

The scent of expensive champagne and food perfumed the air of the Metro Court and the red and white balloons rolled around the ceiling aimlessly as the people below chatted amicably. Johnny Zarcharra rolled his shoulders, to ease the tension that always seemed to linger there when he was in a large social gathering. More often than not in Port Charles, big social events turned sour fast. Even more so when people connected to the mob, like himself, were in attendance.

But he could hardly skip his own engagement party, now could he?

It was for Georgie that he put himself through it. He would do anything to make her happy, and see her smile. He watched his fiancé with her dark golden hair pulled back into a bun on the back of her head, a loose strand that begged to be tucked behind her ear, and the deep emerald green velvet dress that hugged her every curve. It moved like liquid with each step she took, and she was so graceful. He could watch her for hours, and he found a smile tug on his lips. He imagined he looked like a love sick puppy, but he didn't give a damn. He would look like a love struck fool for Georgie Jones for the rest of his life, if he could.

"How are you doing?" Elizabeth Webber Morgan asked, holding out a flute of ginger ale masquerading as champagne. It was something that Jason and Johnny agreed to keep up appearances, but they wouldn't actually drink alcohol out in public. It was precedence to keep sharp in case of danger, and one that the guards followed to.

"Alright, though if Maxie's glares get anymore fierce than I might be a pile of ash by the end of this," Johnny commented, taking the glass. He took a delicate sip of it after raise the glass slightly to Maxie which made her flush with fury, and turn away with a huff. "You'd think after everything she has done, she would realize that she doesn't have the right to dictate how Georgie lives her life."

Elizabeth chuckled, lightly. "Maxie means well…I think. Don't let her or anyone else take away your happiness tonight," the former nurse said, with a half-hearted smile. "You and Georgie deserve this after everything you have been through."

"You really think so?" Johnny asked, with an eyebrow arched.

"I know so," Elizabeth said, patting him on the shoulder gently. Her blue eyes found her husband, Jason Morgan, standing on the other side of the room. He was talking quietly to Spinelli who was here with Leyla—a couple that no one saw coming. Pure love and adoration shined in her eyes, making her look like she was sparkling and glowing. Some may try to say it was pregnancy that caused Elizabeth to look so radiant, but Johnny knew that it was Jason that brought out that spark in Elizabeth. Pregnancy just was a result of said spark. "Oh, there is Mac heading this way. I'm going to head him off, and talk about the Lucky's trial. In the meantime, go make your way to Georgie's side. You know she is the only one that can hold Mac's leash."

"Duly noted," Johnny smirked, slightly. He watched Elizabeth straighten her shoulder and marched towards Mac with all the dignity of a queen. Elizabeth had become a good friend, and more of a sister to him than Claudia ever had been. He hated that Lucky still had a foothold in Jason and Elizabeth's lives—not on Elizabeth's heart though, she had firmly kicked the man out long ago. Lucky had tried to kidnap Cameron and Jake when it was clear that Elizabeth wasn't coming back to him, and though it had been nearly a year and half, the trial kept being put off because Luke had pulled strings. It hadn't helped that Sam McCall used her tv show to play on the public's sympathy in Lucky's favor to get a cheap shot in at Elizabeth and Jason. Diane was doing all she could, even contacting a friend Dr. Jason Bull, to hopefully swing the pendulum back in their favor. Shaking such troubles from his mind, because Jason told him that he wasn't his right hand man tonight—that he was just supposed to be Johnny.

He made his way of to his fiancée, passing by Sonny and Claudia. He didn't know why the two stayed together, except perhaps they were masochists. It was strange how the self-destructive pair managed a balanced relationship. " _Even wicked people have someone they care for, baby brother,"_ his sister had told him on the eve of her wedding. _"And I care more than you know."_

A shudder rushed down his spine, because he prayed he never saw a day when Claudia didn't care anymore.

Johnny knew the moment that Georgie spotted him, a flush appeared on her cheeks and a smile that could light up the darkest of nights beamed on her face. She whispered something to Bobbie, and Maxie before she broke away from the group. She met him in the middle of the room, and his arms automatically wrapped around her, pulling her to him. Their bodies fitted together like two pieces of puzzles, her head fitting right underneath his chin and he could never imagine a world without her in it.

They stood there for several moments, the world seemed like a distant thing. Sadly, they couldn't stay wrapped up in each other forever. At least, not here and not right now. Georgie pulled back, just enough to be able to tilt her head back and look up at his face. "I love you," Georgie told him, her eyes shining with her deep and abiding love for him.

Johnny returned her gaze, his expression in his dark eyes echoed the ones in hers. "And I you," he whispered, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers. "Did you imagine that we would be here? After everything?"

Georgie grinned, a small chuckle. "If you asked me a few years ago, then I would probably have called you crazy," she said, honestly. It had been a rocky start for the two of them. A reluctant attraction on her part, and his shameless flirting with her on his, during her shifts at Kelly's. They would have gotten together sooner, if it hadn't been for Lulu Spencer's desperate need for a "bad boy" in her life and to be smack dab center in self-made drama—thank God, she grew out of that phase. Lulu had been like a dog with a bone, not caring that Georgie and Johnny were on the verge of something. She lied and made it look like Johnny was with her, but the thing about lies was that the truth came out over time.

Afterward, Johnny and Georgie had started something. Cautiously in the beginning, but cautious soon worn away when it seemed like gravity kept pulling them closer and closer together. There were so many worries, in the beginning. Lulu acted like a spurn lover—so vituperative and bitter—and made trouble for the young couple. Johnny's father, the woman hating psycho, and whom had a mad hate for Georgie for "corrupting and stealing" his boy. Claudia was passive aggressive, and had shoved women that she thought were more suited at Johnny all the time. Still did on occasion, but now after Johnny made it clear that Georgie was it for him, it seemed more like a formality than something with actual intent.

Their saving grace had been Jason and Elizabeth. Jason had taken over the organization, after Sonny wanted out. Jason had made it clear that once Sonny was out, he was out. There was no going back. At first, everything worked out fine. Sonny was off with Kate, and his new idyllic life while Elizabeth and Jason circled wagons to reevaluate their lives to make it work. With Sam and Lucky amongst so many others stirring up troubles, it had been hard on the other fledging couple. It was when Johnny approached Jason, in order to escape his father's organization, that they were able to find a way to secure their lives.

Jason had seen something in Johnny, something not unlike himself, and despite all the venom Sonny spewed after he found out, he took him under his wing. Johnny became Jason's right hand man, and this effectively pushed Sonny completely out of the organization. There had always been a door in Sonny's mind, a way to get back in and take back over, reducing Jason back to the role of his right hand—more like lapdog, really, given the way Sonny treated Jason by that point. With Johnny taking over Jason's role, and Jason firmly placing himself at the head of the organization, there was no more room for Sonny there.

Sonny was wroth with rage, and managed to destroy his relationship with Kate in the matter of weeks, only to take up with Claudia. It hadn't started as anything other than sex and personal gain—Sonny now headed the Zarcharra family's business interests—but over time, when Sonny had gotten back on his medicine and his cooler mind prevails, he managed a cordial yet cold relationship with them. There had been many close calls for a mob war during those months, but it all had come through by some miracle. No small part of that miracle had been because of the other Five Families, who liked Jason a helluva lot more than Sonny.

So when things settled, Elizabeth and Jason had created a working and family relationship with Georgie and Johnny. They worked like a well-oiled machine, balanced and managed. Whenever there was trouble, the four banded together with a loyal few—Francis Corelli, Diane Miller, Milo and Max, Nadine, Nicolas, Dante. By Sonny leaving the organization, he allowed a more efficient and more powerful take its place. And not one built solely upon fear or power, but one that was at its heart built upon family and friendship and love. Johnny knew that if Jason had never given him a chance, that he likely wouldn't have been here with Georgie now.

But that didn't stop the doubts that were inside of him. The doubt that he wasn't good enough. The doubt that one day their luck would run out. Even as he stood here ready to commit to a life with the love of his life, he felt like he was condemning her in the same moment. All of that because of his doubts that he never voiced, and never gave life to escape in the dark and quiet moments when he was alone.

"You would have laughed, but I wouldn't have," Johnny told her, with a grin. "I was smitten with you the first time I saw you Georgiana Jones. Still am, and always will be."

Georgie smiled, then pressed her lips to his in a quick, chaste kiss. When he tried to deepen it, she pulled back and put a finger to his lips. "Now, now, we don't have time for that," she told him, playfully.

"I just wanted a kiss," Johnny said, biting back a smirk.

"That's what you always say, and then I give in, and next thing you know we are at the nearest available surface doing things that would make a hooker blush," Georgie told him, with dry amusement. "And as fun as that all is, there are too many people here and I am not an exhibitionist."

Johnny couldn't fight a smirk then. "What about that one time when we used the—"

Georgie clapped a hand over his mouth, giving him a scolding look that was thoroughly ruined by the blush of embarrassment and the light of heat that entered her eyes as the memory crossed through her mind. "That was an accident, and in no way intentional. I still have trouble looking Spinelli and Leyla in the eyes after they walked in…on that," she told him, pursing her lips against the smile that threatened to spread across her face.

"Did you know after that Spinelli came asking me for tips to woo and thoroughly please Leyla?" Johnny asked.

"He did not!"

"He did."

"Ugh, that was way more than I needed to know about their sex lives," Georgie blanched, shaking her head. Spinelli had been like a brother to her, and Leyla had been the sweetest. Some people always had something snarky to say about the mismatched couple. Leyla in society's perception was way out of Spinelli's league, but society couldn't be more wrong. Leyla truly loved and adored Spinelli, and Spinelli worshiped the ground that Leyla walked on. With Spinelli's brain and Leyla's old money, the two partnered together to create Core Technology Inc. which now rivaled Microsoft and Apple in the industry. Their personally relationship grew into something more along the way, and was rock solid despite all the haters out there. "Great. Lulu and Dante just showed up."

"I thought you got along with Lulu now," Johnny quirked a brow.

"Lulu is a better person, and a lot tamer than she once was, however we will never be friends. I left that door open for a long time, despite all the stuff Lulu did to me for no good reason. I may not have been perfect, but I never went to the level she did," Georgie stated, sensibly. "After her trying to use her brother to put you into jail after all her lies came out, that door firmly closed, but Dante is your friend. So I am willing to tolerate her for you two's sake."

"How was I so lucky to get engaged to a saint?" Johnny smiled.

"Oh, please. I don't want on water," Georgie snorted, rolling her eyes lightly. She gave him another quick kiss, and then broke their embrace, albeit reluctantly. "I better go and chat up the guests. One of us has to do it."

"It's a good thing you charming enough for the both of us," he commented, watching her walk away from him. He always loved watching her walk away, and the fact her hips swayed enticingly was just one of the perks. His smile grew when she looked back at him over her shoulder…

And the world exploded. Literally.

A ripple of movement pushed him forward followed by a rush of heat, and then the sound of shattering glass coming from everywhere—the chandelier, to the windows, everywhere. Johnny head struck against the marble floor so hard that his vision blurred, and pain exploded across his entire skull. His breath stuttered, and nausea rolled in the pit of his stomach. He could barely make out Georgie, the color of her dress on the floor so far away from him. He tried to get up, and tried to get to her because that was all that matter.

But his body had other ideas and the entire world went black.

* * *

The bright light made him wince when he was able to pull open his eyes, and he shut them quickly with a pained groan slipping out of his mouth. White-hot agony splintered across his skull, and nausea seethed in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't quite remember what he doing, or where he was. The bed beneath him was hard, and not like his so he wasn't home. His through moved slowly, like a snail inching it's what through a maze full of cobwebs. His heart pounded violently in his chest, and broken fragments of what happened slowly knitted themselves back together inside of his mind. The imagine of Georgie lying prone on the floor made ice cold fear spear through his heart. His eyes snapped open despite the blinding lights, and the pain, and he tried to sit up out of the stiff bed that he laid upon. A hand stopped him and he blinked up at the blurry figure. "J-Jason?" He croaked out, his tongue felt too big mouth. "What…what happened? Where's G-Georgie?"

Jason frowned, his jaw clenched tightly. His blue gaze flickered to Elizabeth who stood at the foot of the bed, with her arms wrapped around her tightly. Her throat bobbed, and she let out a shaky breath. "She…she is in surgery right now," Elizabeth explained, her tone gentle. "When the explosion happened, she was almost directly underneath the chandelier, and there was a lot of glass…"

"She lost a lot of blood," Jason finished, with a drained expression on his face.

Johnny felt his heart kick in his chest.

"But she has a common blood type!" Elizabeth rushed to reassure him. "Maxie has the same blood type, and the blood banks are in no short supply. There is no reason to believe she won't make it through alright."

Emotions careened through him at the speed of light—too many to count and name—but he knew one thing amongst the chaos of his mind: that he needed to get to Georgie. He struggled, his body swayed as he forced himself up into a sitting position. He had to get to Georgie. Even if he couldn't be there with her during her surgery, he could be there for when she got out.

"Johnny, you need to rest," Jason said, with concern. "You suffered a concussion. You shouldn't be moving about."

"No! What I need is to see Georgie," Johnny countered, fiercely. He didn't care he was in pain. He didn't care about himself. He needed to see Georgie. He needed be as close to her as possible to let her know that she wasn't alone. "Please, Jason."

Elizabeth's blue eyes—slate and slightly grey compared to Jason's ocean blue eyes—flickered between the two men, before she came to a decision. "I'll go see if there is a wheelchair that can be spared, and we'll take you down to wait on Georgie," she offered, quietly.

Johnny's shoulder slumped. "Thank you," he said, gratefully.

She flashed him a quick smile, before she rushed out of the room. She came back a few minutes later with Epiphany in tow, and the two helped the unsteady man into the wheelchair. Epiphany told Elizabeth to keep an eye on him, and not to let him over exert himself. It wasn't hospital policy to allow someone in Johnny's condition out of bed, but if anyone understood the painful uncertainty of a loved one's life hanging in the balance, it was Epiphany. The elevator ride was slow and agonizing. Each second that ticked by seemed like an eternity for Johnny, and he gnawed on the inside of his cheek worriedly.

The elevator creaked and shook, but sturdy and reliable, it took them upward to the surgery floor. The chime made Johnny wince, and the door pulled open. Jason pushed the wheelchair out, and as soon as the wheels were on tile, Johnny took it from there. He rolled the wheels with great effort, and neither of his friends helped him, both knowing that this was something he needed to do. That this little bit of control in a chaotic situation would bring more comfort than words could provide. He came to a stop beyond the pair of blue doors, the warning on the glass saying only authorized personal were permitted beyond them.

"She is there? Beyond those doors?" Johnny asked, feeling helpless. He knew he couldn't go beyond them. He couldn't be by her side in this moment, and he felt his heart throb painfully.

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded. "She will be fine, Johnny. You know Georgie. She is a fighter. She always has been."

"Doesn't mean she should have to be fighting this," Johnny said, softly.

"You can't blame yourself," Jason told him.

"Who else am I to blame?" Johnny retorted, darkly. "That explosion…"

Before Johnny could finish his suspicions, the elevator doors dinged and the furious clicks of high heeled shoes echoed across the floor. It was no surprise when the blond fashionista showed up. Even less of a surprise when she looked at Johnny like he was the bane of her existence. "What the hell are you doing here?" Maxie spat, venomously. Her cold aquamarine eyes flashed with anger and hatred at the sight of Johnny. "Haven't you people done enough to Georgie already?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth asked, giving Maxie a sharp look.

"You know exactly what it means!" The blonde glowered. "An explosion at the Metro Court just happens at mobster's engagement party, and you want to what? Believe it was pure coincidence?"

Johnny wanted to refute what Maxie was saying, but there was a sudden lump in his throat. One that suffocated him, and kept every denial lodged down inside of his chest. His mind raced, tracing every interaction that night. How did they miss this? How did they not see this threat coming? Everything had been good. Everything had been peaceful. Maybe hoping that would have lasted was too much to ask. Guilt burrowed like jagged nails underneath his skin, and down into the marrow of his bones. He struggled to maintain his calm façade, but his breaths were coming too swift. The thought that this somehow was connected to him and Jason had hit every fear that he had buried so carefully inside of him. What if something he had brought home had put Georgie in danger? What if the price of being with him was her death? He couldn't bear the thought of it.

"There are several possible reasons for that explosion," Elizabeth defended, her hand clasped tightly in Jason's. "And a lot of them don't have anything to do with illegal activities, and neither my husband nor our friend is involved in that. After all, they are coffee importers not criminals."

Which was almost completely true. Jason and Johnny had cut down the criminal activity, and 90% of their business was completely legit. It was their connections and favors owed to the Five Families that kept them from completely turning over the last 10% and being done with the seedy underworld all together. But Maxie didn't know that.

Maxie gave her a sneer. "I always knew that you could lie, Elizabeth, but I never realized how good of a liar you were up until this moment. The fact that you can say with a straight face," she huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "You might be stupid—"

"Do not call her that," Jason glared.

Maxie barely kept herself from rolling her eyes, and continued onward regardless of Jason's ire. "—enough to bury your head in the sand, Elizabeth, but the rest of us have our eyes wide open. If you think that I'm going to let any of you near Georgie—"

"Johnny is Georgie's fiancé, and her emergency contact," Elizabeth cut off the blonde's tirade with a sharp wave of her hand. "You are not. You have no right to keep Johnny from seeing her, or anyone else. Right now, she needs everyone who cares for her here to support her. Not a sister with a drama complex stirring up trouble while she is in there fighting for her life."

Maxie's mouth snapped shut. She looked at Elizabeth with pure loathing, but didn't start up the argument again. Instead, she rolled her eyes dramatically, "Whatever. But don't be surprised when I say I told you so when those two are led away in handcuffs," the blond snarked, then she chose a seat in the very corner of the waiting room. She plopped down into it, and pulled out her cellphone.

Johnny pushed Maxie and her words away from his thoughts. He sat there for a long time, the minutes passed away into an hour, and he stared there at the door. He was weak and weary, but he sat there like a sentinel. And yet, the longer he sat there the more his mind kept bringing him back to the night of the explosion. What had been missed? What had gone wrong? Was this his fault? Jason's fault? He glanced over at Elizabeth and Jason, who both looked exhausted and drained as much as he. For all of Elizabeth's defenses, all of them knew that the possibility that this was a deliberate attack was very much real and couldn't be ignored.

 _God, Georgie, what have I done to you?_ His heart cried out, and he closed his eyes against the wave of tears that swelled up in them. He felt someone come to a stop beside him, and he smelt the perfume _Summer's Rain_. Instantly he knew it was Claudia. It was her favorite perfume, reminding her of their mother. "What are you doing here, Claudia?" He asked, his voice raspy.

"I came to check on your, John," Claudia replied, after a moment. "When you weren't in your room, I knew this is where you'd be."

She wanted to comfort him, be the sibling he needed, but her presence didn't help. Claudia thrived on the darkness and violence that a mob life style provided. She craved it like some people craved nicotine, and made no excuses about the person she was. Right now in this moment, she was just a reminder. A reminder of where he came from. A reminder that his past wouldn't simply stay put. A reminder that the danger that follows them very well could be what put Georgie and so many others in danger. Johnny didn't want to look at her, didn't want to see the same brown eyes like his reflected back at him. He didn't want to know what he could find in Claudia's expression. He didn't want to acknowledge that any part of him could be like her. Danger, volatile, and could turn everything he cherished into dust.

"I don't want to say I told you so," Claudia started, lightly.

"Then don't," Johnny snapped.

Claudia's lips pursed together, her dark eyes flickered from Johnny to the doors that separated him from his fiancée. "Caring is not an advantage, Johnny. It is like having a chink in your armor, and someone exploited that tonight," his sister stated, her tone level and even. Some would even call it cold. "For what it is worth, I am sorry that you are going through this."

"Are you really? Are you sorry that Georgie is hurt and fighting for her life?" Johnny demanded, not believing her words.

Claudia hesitated, and then sighed. "I'm sorry that you are hurting."

Johnny shook his head with a bitter scoff. "Just go, Claudia."

"John…"

"No, Claudia. I can't. I can't deal with you right now. Just go."

Claudia looked like she was going put up a fight, but she surprisingly relented. Her dark eyes looked balefully at Elizabeth and Jason who stood there, silent support for Johnny before she marched down the hallway.

Johnny clutched the armrest in a knuckle white grip. He felt like he was caught in a tidal wave, there was no swimming away from it. He could only stare in horror as it approached, and consumed him. His jaw clenched so tightly, his teeth went numb from the pressure and his heart felt like a vicious jackhammer in his chest. His life—the life he was born into—was the reason that Georgie was fighting for her life. It was the reason that no doubt countless others were hurt. It hurt to have all his illusions and dreams shattered in one unforgivable moment. The guilt inside of him put the entire weight of the incident on his shoulders, and the thought that he had sworn never allow to pass through his lips did.

"I wish I had never been born…"

If he had never been born, the people around him would be safe. All he brought them was hurt.

"Do you really?" A cultured accented voice interrupted his thoughts.

He turned to see a person standing off to the side, in a blue pinstriped suit and a brown trench coat much like Colombo's. Short dark hair cut into a bob that cupped a sharp and pointed chin, and grey eyes that felt all too knowing as they stared him down. Beautifully carved features that were androgynous that gave Johnny neither the impression of a man, or a woman, but someone who was above such mundane labels. The person gave off a presence that was powerful yet calming. It did not intimidate, nor feel threatening. Yet Johnny couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Who are you?" He asked.

"A friend, Johnny Zacharra," the person said, with a vague smile. "You know that you should be more careful with your wishes. There are ears all about in the universe, and something one day might grant you what you wish."

Johnny's eyes narrowed. "How do you know who I am?"

"It is my job to know who you are, Mr. Zacharra," the person's smile broadened, . "Now, do you really want to wish yourself away? Do you not think that is such a waste of a wish?"

Johnny opened his mouth to give this person a piece of his mind when he noticed something strange. It was quiet. Not like quiet like people were trying to be as noiseless as possible, but that all the noise had been drained out of the room. He glanced over at Elizabeth and Jason, and his stomach twisted into a giant knot. They were frozen. Not moving, like someone has hit pause on life. Maxie was, too!

"I must have hit my head harder than I thought," Johnny whispered.

"I assure you that what is happening here isn't a byproduct of your head injury. You mortals always like to explain stuff away so easily. It was a dream. It was exhaustion. All excuses you tell yourself in order to not believe that you've been touched or seen something that defies what you thought you believed about existence," the person chuckled, with a slight shake of their head. "But religious faith is another matter entirely. I am here about personal faith. Do you really believe that the people you loved ones would be better off if you had never been born, Mr. Zacharra?"

There were a few moments of hesitation, but Johnny eventually replied, chopping this person to be just a figment of his imagination and that he had likely passed out. "Yes, I do," Johnny stated, with complete certainty. "I wish I had never been born. I wish I had never be able to fail the people that I care about, and the only that I love most of all."

"I see…" the person drawled out. "I fear that words will not nearly be enough to re-solidify your faith in yourself. Perhaps, you need to see it with your own eyes to see how desperately wrong you are, Mr. Zacharra."

Before Johnny could ask what that meant, the person slapped their palm right against his forehead and the entire world went jet black.

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER!**

 **We wanted to have this story up around Christmas time, but we had issues that didn't allow us to get it finished. We are currently working on Part 2 and hope to have it up soon. Thank you so much for all the support.**

 **Author's Note: We are also working on "The Heart Knows" and have a new chapter almost finished.**

 **RRs are appreciated! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. This is for amusement, not for profit purposes. We hope that you all enjoy.

Summary: After a disastrous event, Johnny Zarcharra wishes he had never existed feeling that he is responsible for it. And his guardian angel, Castiel, decides to show him what life would have been like for those around him if he truly hadn't been born.

Winchestergurl4life and ThroughtheMirrorDarkly both humbly apologize for the lateness of this chapter!

I want to thank, arcoiris0502, bjq, leeleelayla5, notenoughlove, trini12180, Wonderwomom, aphass, twin69, MandyLybeck, ravenb, leezee, lrobinsion01, fairydevilish, mamasbaby89, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, RobJas, mbrunberg1, Jessiness5134, Marie567, for the follows!

I want to thank, Gyngerbear, LiasonMorgan, Twisted Musalih, notenoughlove, trini12180, angelbg, mamasbaby89, Jessiness5134, for the favs!

I want to thank, lrobinson01, Guest, arcoiris0502, trini12180, kcke2pen, notenoughlove, RobJas, bjq, LiasonMorgan, for the reviews!

I want to thank "Georgie" community for adding our story!

Guest reviews:

Guest: Thank you! Glad that you enjoyed it! :D

"Down Come the Rain" by Hidden Citizens

* * *

 **PART 2 of 2**

It was a small sound that stirred Johnny Zarcharra back into consciousness.

There were small little metallic clicks of a gun being cleaned, and the sound of a chair scraping across a wooden floor, followed by heavy footsteps that echoed lightly across the entire penthouse. He didn't know how he knew it was the penthouse—he supposed it was the quiet feel of the place that he recalled, but there was something off. He never believed in chakras or energies, not really. But sometimes, he swore houses took on the feel of their owners. And the feeling of the penthouse right now was insidious, cold and hollow. His head throbbed, and pulsed with pain, but he pulled his eyes open anyways. He found himself staring for a long, hard moment at reddish walls that he had painted over to a shade of gray years ago, and he pushed himself up to looked down at the couch that he had mostly certainly replaced with a much more comfortable and new one.

He sat up completely, and stared dumbly at his surroundings. He tried to figure out just what happened, but then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He blinked hard when he saw Jason sitting there, but it wasn't the Jason he knew. His hair was cut short again, like before he let it grow out, and his eyes—the blue were hard like chunks of ice, filled with a bitterness and darkness that made fear pierce sharply into Johnny's heart. This man was nothing like the Jason he knew, and Johnny felt ice churn through his veins. His lips parted to ask Jason what was going on when Sonny and Carly barged through the door. Carly was wringing her hands together, and looked frightened and nervous while Sonny looked grim and resigned.

Jason didn't even look to see who it was. "Get out," Jason barked, his tone as a sharp as a keen blade.

Carly flinched back.

Sonny swallowed, thickly. "Jason, I know that you don't want to hear this, but—"

"Sonny, you have no say in my life, especially not now. If I had been a better and smarter man then that would have happened a long time ago, but I wasn't a better man. Now I will never be one," Jason informed him, icicle practically forming on his lips from the cold tone he used with his former boss.

"Jason, don't say that!" Carly said, her voice cracked with sadness. "You are still a good man."

"That good man you remember Carly died. You should stop trying to get him back because you aren't the person that could bring him back," Jason told her, harshly.

Tears sprang into Carly's eyes, and she lost her voice.

"What the hell is going on here?" Johnny exploded, no longer able to contain himself. Carly and Sonny had been butted out of Jason's life when they couldn't handle the fact that Jason decided to give it his all with Elizabeth, and be a family with her and her boys.

"They can't hear you," a quiet voice informed him. "And you cannot interfere with the world around you. For now, you remain the part of the observer."

Johnny whipped around, and his eyes widened when he saw a strange person standing there. The night before and the meeting this person in front of the surgery doors where he waited for Georgie all came rushing back to him, sending his heart straight to his feet. "No…you aren't…you can't be…" He struggled to find an appropriate response, but came up with nothing. "What?"

The mysterious person gave him a sympathetic smile. "You wished you had never been born, Johnny. Now you will see a world without you in, and see all that has changed."

Johnny felt his heart felt like it would burst right out of his ribcage. "What are you?" He demanded, hardly believing what was happening.

"You're guardian angel," the person said, with a slight bow. "The name is Castiel."

Johnny froze, and then his eyes narrowed. "Castiel?"

Castiel, the self-proclaimed guardian angel, raised a brow. "Yes."

"Like…" Johnny hesitated. "Like the angel from Supernatural?"

Castiel's face screwed up into indignation. "Every time! This is why I dislike coming to Earth anymore and deal with you… _humans_. You all get hung up on the name. That is the last time I save a television writer! My name has become a part of pop culture and attached to Destiel for the rest of eternity," the angel said, with a petulant frown that was reminiscent of a five year old child.

"…you don't ship it?" Johnny asked, slightly amused.

Castiel let out a huff. "We are here to address your personal crisis. There is a reason you are here. There is a reason that you need to see this moment," the angel told him, with a pointed look over at the three shades on the other side of the room. "So pay attention."

Johnny gave the angel a skeptical glance, but turned to look back at Jason, Carly and Sonny. His mind spun with the implication of Castiel's words. That he was seeing a world in which he hadn't been born, and that he was supposed to learn some kind of lesson from it. He felt so many emotions, one that were easily named and others less so, but he was having trouble accepting that this was happening. Maybe he had slipped into a coma, and this was some weird dream. Yet it didn't _feel_ like a dream.

The smell, the sounds, the people were all too real. And Johnny felt his heart sink in his stomach.

Jason glared at Sonny and Carly with the intense of a thousand suns, and if looks allow could kill then they would have been seared out of an existence. His chest heaved up and down with each wrathful breath he took, and Johnny had never seen Jason looked so near out of control. It was like he had been unraveled, and only a single thread kept him from snapping completely, and falling into whatever dark abyss he saw in the distance. "If you won't leave," Jason snapped, grabbing his jacket and his gun shoving it into the back of his jeans, "then I will. I don't have time for this."

Carly went to stop him, but Sonny grabbed her elbow, stopping her.

The penthouse door slammed behind him, and rattled the pictures on the wall, causing one to even fall. The sound of broken glass made a horrified sob wretch out of the depths of Carly's soul, and she turned towards Sonny, her face pale and stricken. "My God, Sonny, he is so much worse than we thought. I thought that maybe with space and time he would come around since my normal meddling was getting nowhere, but he is just…so broken and angry and lost. Spinelli always called Jason, "Stone Cold", but we all knew that wasn't all there was to him. We knew that he had a heart of gold and this compassion and understanding that was beneath the stoic image, and now all of that is gone. His heart is gone," Carly said, tears streaking down her cheeks. "He really is Stone Cold. He is unfeeling, and uncaring."

"His heart isn't gone, Carly. Just far away," Sonny sighed, heavily. He looked ragged, like all the years had finally caught up to him. He looked like his spirit had been crushed, and the weight of all the burdens in his life sat upon his shoulders with an unrelenting force.

"We…we have do something for him, Sonny. We have to do anything to bring him back," Carly said, desperately.

Sonny bowed his head, and shook it slowly. "We have tried, Carly, but Jason is right. We can't bring him back form the darkness. We were the ones that just added more darkness into his life, and we couldn't stand that…that Elizabeth gave him a light. Maybe we were jealous that she touched him in a way that we weren't capable of and that's why we did what we did to keep them apart," the mobster said, a tangle of emotions crossed his face. He closed his eyes, and put his head into his hands. "Maybe if we had just opened our eyes for just a moment, things wouldn't have ended up this way. If we had just been a little less selfish, Jason could have been happy. Now all he has is darkness."

The way that Sonny said that made it sound like Elizabeth was completely gone, Johnny realized, and he felt a spark of horror deep within his heart. His dark eyes met the indifferent gaze of Castiel's, and for a moment the question was caught in his throat. "What happened to Elizabeth?" Johnny asked, a tone of fear and apprehension in his voice. "What happened to Elizabeth that made Jason go so far off the deep end?"

Castiel studied him for a long moment, and then said, "It…would be easier to show you."

* * *

After walking through the Port Charles streets that were so familiar yet so removed from the bustling place that Johnny was familiar with, Castiel guided him into Shadybrooke and there was a bone deep fear when they reached room 206. He didn't want to enter, and see what lay behind that door. His feet did not listen to his mind and propelled him through, and his gut heaved violently when he saw Elizabeth Webber sitting there. Rocking back and forth in the chair, her head bent forward and her eyes hollow, empty of any and all emotion.

"Without someone like you—trusted and loyal and had his back—Jason withdrew out of Elizabeth's life, keeping the nurse and her boys at a distance," Castiel explained, hands clasped together. "And the ripples from that decision were more costly than anyone could have foretold."

"I…I don't understand. Why is she…she unresponsive?" Johnny asked, shaken.

"Elizabeth suffered from PTSD from the many traumas she had endured over the years as you well know," Castiel stated, the angel's tone light and filled with sorrow. It was a horrible thing to see someone who had been so full of life and love so void of it all, and the angel knew that to Johnny, Elizabeth had been the sister he had always wanted. "But some things are hard to endure, and in order to survive the mind breaks. Elizabeth…was forced to do something unthinkable, and her mind shut down, locking her away up tight so she never had to think of it again."

The angel pulled their eyes away from the still and lifeless form in the rocking chair, and stared at Johnny. Eyes that were older than human existence born into him, filled with a thousand different thoughts and words. "Even now, she survives and fights, clawing her way into the dark in the hopes to return to the light."

Johnny looked away from Elizabeth, his heart dropping right out of his chest and fell to his feet. If it hadn't been for the way her chest rose and fell with each breath, she would have appeared dead. That was how lifeless she was, and Johnny looked to the nearby dresser were little homemade cards with words that said "Get Better Soon, Mommy" written in crayon them made his throat close up tightly. Elizabeth had been a good friend to him, and to see her like this killed a piece of his soul. "I can't…I can't be here," he whispered out, the walls felt like they were closing in on him and he rushed out of the door. It slammed behind him with a thunderous noise, and in his mind, he wondered who else had suffered. What kind of hellish world was this? Where was Georgie? What happened to Georgie? Was it as bad as what happened to Elizabeth and Jason? Countless scenarios rattled in his brain, and he was barely paying attention until a familiar voice echoed across the walls.

"Alexis, just leave me be! You got what you wanted!"

Johnny's head jerked up, and he saw Mac handcuffed to a nearby chair. The police commissioner had a belligerent look on his face, his eyes red rim and his body odor was a mixture of alcohol and stale sweaty clothes. Alexis Davis stood there, with a look of uncertainty on her face.

"This isn't what I wanted," Alexis said, through tears. "But it's what you need."

"You know nothing about what I need," Mac spat, angrily.

"I know you need help," Alexis countered, arms folded over her chest. "You are doing no one any good by being a drunk! Least of all your daughter!"

 _Georgie?_ Was Johnny's first thought. He glanced around and realized he had wandered into the rehab section of Shadybrooke meant to help addicts whether it is alcohol or drugs. He glanced at the police commissioner who had been a pain in his ass, but he had tolerated for Georgie who loved the man like he was her father. In truth, Mac was Georgie's father and no blood would change that.

"Don't you throw that in my damn face," Mac muttered, looking away from the woman in front of him. "You know there is nothing I can do for her. She got herself in that own mess, she has to get herself out of it."

"So you aren't going to even try?" Alexis demanded.

Mac stopped responding, and just hung his head.

Johnny had never seen him like this even when he had been mad about his relationship with Georgie. There was something so broken and defeat in Mac's gaze, and he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Castiel who showed up a second later. "Who are they talking about? Georgie or Maxie?" He asked, half afraid of the answer.

The angel looked at him with solemn eyes, and Castiel did not reply. Only raised his hand, snapping his fingers and the world started to melt away into a different scene. Johnny frowned, deeply finding himself in the living room of the Spencer home. He had been here a few times back when Lulu had been his sort of girlfriend—before Georgie had come in and stole his heart right from him, making every woman in comparison fall short. The place looked rundown like a cheap motel, and held no warmth or welcoming feel in its walls. Johnny turned to the figures on the couch, and for a split second, he had thought it was going to be Georgie he saw.

But it wasn't Georgie.

It was Maxie.

Maxie sat there with Cameron nestled into her side, both of them watching the television screen. There was something heartbreaking about the fragile silence of the house, and even more so when the sound of wheels pulling into the driveway cut through the peace like a knife through butter. Immediately, Maxie shot up off the couch, changing the television channel to football and she lifted Cameron out of her lap. She pulled out some cash, pressing it into Cameron's hand and handing him his backpack that sat in the chair. "Alright. Cameron, I want you to go down to pharmacy, okay? Go hang out with Nadine, and someone special is going to pick you up, alright?" Maxie told him, frantically.

"I remember the plan, Maxie," Cameron nodded.

Maxie smiled at the little boy, her lips quivering. "Go. Quickly through the back door."

Cameron nodded, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He raced out of the living room, and was out of the backdoor by the time the car door out front slammed shut loudly. Maxie jumped at the sound, and fidgeted nervously as she made her way to get a beer out of the fridge. She returned to the living room just in time to greet haggard looking Lucky Spencer, who came into the door with a tight smile fixated on her face. "Hello, honey. How was your day?" She asked, in a sweet tone, but there was a hitch of fear that was unmistakable.

"How do you think?" Lucky all, but snarled. He ripped the beer bottle from her hand, and Maxie flinched back, in a knee jerk reaction. "That bitch Devane has suspended me, and this time I might end up getting fired for it."

"I'm so sorry," Maxie said, softly. She stared unblinkingly at Lucky as if he were a wolf and she the rabbit. She was afraid of Lucky, and from the hand shaped bruise on her wrists Johnny knew why. "I'll make you supper. You favorite, steak and potatoes?"

"You mean you haven't already cooked supper?" Lucky snapped, angrily. "Damn it, Maxie, why can't you do anything right? I go to work all day and work my ass to come to this? Where the hell is Cameron at anyways?"

"He's upstairs doing homework," Maxie explained, hurriedly. "Look, Lucky, I'm sorry—"

"You're sorry? No, you aren't, but you are going to be," Lucky told her, with a venomous glare. He tossed his beer bottle to the ground, and started towards with the clear intent of laying his hands on Maxie whether that meant beating her or worse.

"No, Lucky!" Maxie stood firm, even though there was fear shining in her blue eyes. In this moment, Johnny could see how alike Maxie and Georgie were. They were brave and fierce, even in the face of danger. "You don't get to…hit me and use me anymore! I'm done with it! I'm done with you and your stupid schemes to hurt Jason and everything else you have planned! I'm not going along with it anymore!"

Johnny stood there with hands curled into fists. He wanted to step between Lucky and Maxie, but he knew that there was nothing he could. He wasn't here really; he was as tangible as a ghost and couldn't stop Lucky attacking Maxie if he tried.

"Sam would have!"

A spark of fire flashed through Maxie's terrified gaze. "Yeah. Sam did a lot of things, and Elizabeth killed her for it," the blond snapped, without remorse.

The harshness of Lucky's expression faltered. Some fragile and broken filled up his gaze, and he swallowed down the noise that tore through his throat. Something between a whimper and a sob, and he shook his head back and forth. "It was an accident! It was an accident," Lucky whispered, vehemently. He whispered it like a mad man, like if he said it enough then he could convince himself that it was the absolute truth.

"An accident?" Maxie scoffed, eyes narrowed. "Just like watching Jake get kidnapped in the park was a moment of weakness?"

Lucky lashed out, as quick as lightning. The palm of his hand struck Maxie so hard across the face that it sent her to the ground, and he towered over her, his chest rising and falling with each desperate gulp of air he pulled in. Then his composure crumbled, and the anger turned into a bitter sadness, his eyes clenched tightly closed. "Why do you make me do this? I don't want to be like this! I don't want to remember!" He shouted at her, kicking the coffee table and knocking it over with a loud crash. "I should have been watching more closely! I was the one teaching him to swim, not Sam! I just turned my back for a second…it was an accident…we didn't mean for Jakey to drown…"

Despair and horror cut through Johnny's heart like a knife. The image of Jake flashed before his eyes, and then a tombstone with his name on it followed, and he felt his knees go weak. He had grown fond of Elizabeth's kids, how could he not? They were good kids, and were like nephews to him. Cameron and Jake, his little shadows as he often called them, who were too smart and wise for their own good. "Jake…little Jake is dead?" Johnny barely managed to find his voice over the lump in his throat, and felt tears of grief spring into his eyes when Castiel nodded.

"Drowned. Sam and Lucky took the boys on a camping trip, and well…" the angel trailed off, jaw clenched tightly. "Given the wrongs Sam had done by watching Jake get kidnapped, hiring the gunmen, it made Elizabeth snap. She killed Sam in a fit of rage triggered by all that, and once the rage settled, Elizabeth couldn't believe what she had done. Her mind just…broke."

Anger and grief swallowed his heart. Johnny pressed a fist up to his lips to keep the shout of anger down in his throat. He understood it now. He understood why Jason had gone off the deep end. He had lost Jake and Elizabeth, but what about Cameron? Why didn't Jason stick it out for Cameron? The man that he knew would have.

As if having read his thoughts and probably did, Castiel replied, "Jason tried fighting for custody of Cameron, but with his history of the coffee business, on top of Luke greasing a few palms, it did not go in Jason's favor. Lucky had managed to make himself appear quite the family man, even marrying Maxie to do so. When Maxie saw the truth of who Lucky was, she tried to her best to protect Cameron and shield the little boy. She told Jason what was happening, and Jason went to Sonny. Sonny refused to help—threatened by the memory of Elizabeth Webber—and before Jason could come up with a plan B, Lucky managed to get a restraining order against him. The police have hounded him day and night, leaving him little peace."

"The man I knew wouldn't take that lying down," Johnny whispered out, a cold stone settled into his gut. "The man that I saw in the penthouse, even less so."

Castiel just gestured back to the scene.

Lucky stormed off into the kitchen, and was throwing stuff around. Maxie sat there on the floor, still and quiet, as to not drawn attention to herself when she saw a shadow move out on the front porch. A quick glance at the clock told her exactly who it was, and she stood up very carefully. She tiptoed towards the door, her shaking hands grasped the handle and she pulled it open.

And Jason Morgan stood at the door.

The two stared at each other silently before Maxie allowed him in. Jason inclined his head slightly, and pulled out of an envelope out of the inner pocket of her jacket, giving it to her. She took it with a shaky hand, and licked her dry lips. "He is in the kitchen. Cameron is at the pharmacy with Nadine," the blond said, quietly. "Please take care of him. He is a little boy who has been through too much."

Jason nodded, sharply. "I will."

Maxie studied his face, and whispered, "I believe you."

And Maxie walked out.

Jason pulled out the gun from his waistband, and made his way to the kitchen, silent as the grave. Johnny followed, with Castiel trailing silently after him and he wasn't sure what that meant. He watched Lucky turn around, assuming it was Maxie and a snarl on his lips, only for his expression to go slack when he saw Jason standing there with a gun pointed straight at him.

Seconds ticked by, the two at a standstill.

Lucky snorted, self-deprecatingly. He shut the fridge with a light thud before he popped open the lid of the beer on the counter, and watching it drop with a metallic clank against the kitchen floor aimlessly. He propped his hip against the cabinets and took a long drag from his beer, his eyes stared unblinkingly at Jason the entire time. Lowering the bottle from his lips, he commented in an almost idle tone, "You know, I kind of always knew this is where we would end up. You and me, all our history surrounding the one woman neither of us could live without coming to a head where only one of us would walk away unscathed."

Jason didn't respond. His eyes filled with utter loathing, a glare that was so vicious that it made Johnny step back away as if it had been aimed at him and not Lucky. "Your days were number the second you took Cameron away from me," Jason told him, his tone frigid and harsh.

"He was my son first," Lucky argued.

"He was my son!" Jason growled out. "You only saw him as a prize, a way to torture me and stick it to Elizabeth as we hadn't gone through enough with the loss of Jake. You didn't want him because you loved him. You wanted him because you didn't want me to have him. You saw it as your only way to win, and for what, Lucky?"

Lucky just stood there, his throat bobbing sharply. He seemed at a loss as to why he did what he did, and he couldn't even defend himself from the words that Jason had thrown at him. In the end, he didn't even try. "You won't get away with this," he whispered out.

"I already have Lucky," Jason told him, his tone quiet.

The beer bottle in Lucky's hand shook, and his jaw clenched. Lucky then slammed the bottle down on the counter, and charged Jason with the intent to stab him with the sharpened glass. Jason didn't hesitate, pulling the trigger. The bullet hit Lucky straight between the eyes, and his head jerked backwards with the force of the shot. Blood splattered across the white tile floor, and his body slammed to the ground. His lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling, and Jason lowered the gun, releasing a deep breath.

That's when Johnny noticed a cold breeze, and he turned to look. "Oh, God, no," he whispered out, staring that the backdoor that was now opened. In the midst of the chaos, Cameron Webber had returned and stood there with a frightened expression on his face.

Jason felt the air and lifted his head. He froze, every fiber of his being seemed to still. His wide blue eyes filled with so much and heartbreaking as he stared over Lucky's dead body to the open back door—more pointedly to Cameron who stood there, with his quaking on the door knob and rooted the spot, staring at Jason like he had never seen anything like him before.

Johnny felt his stomach lurch, because he knew that was Jason's greatest fear—to be seen as a monster by Elizabeth and the boys, and he stepped forward. The urge to someone fix this, to reassure Jason and Cameron, to make this better, but the scene melted around him. He found himself in the back of a moving vehicle sat across from his sister, Claudia. But it wasn't the Claudia, he knew, by a long shot.

Claudia might be an Ice Queen, but there was a fire to her. There was a warmth to her that always redeemed her, and made Johnny believe that if she could just pull free from the darkness in her life, she could be that good person she always wished she was. But this Claudia, in front of him, had no such warmth. No such life in her dark eyes. Just a dark, bitter and ugly soul that made Johnny's heart shriveled up inside of his chest. "I don't care how it ends, but it must be done," Claudia ordered, in an imperious tone to the men in the limousine with her. They were dressed in a suit and tie, but they were not business by a long shot.

"And if we cannot convince Mr. Morgan to comply with you wishes?" the man with the sickly yellow teeth asked, a hint of wicked anticipation in his eyes.

"Then he is to be dealt with. The only thing keeping Corinthos's organization afloat is that Jason Morgan hasn't openly declared that he is leaving the fold," Claudia stated, coldly. "We want to watch Sonny's life come crashing down around him, and Morgan is the key. Whether or not Morgan is an ally or enemy, doesn't change that. It just changes whether we have to hide a body."

"From the intel we have gathered," the beefy man said, slowly, "Morgan intends to take Elizabeth Webber's remaining son out of the country after he disposes of Lucky Spencer. Should we intervene so that we have leverage over Morgan's head? And if Morgan is to die, then what is to be done about the child's presence?"

"What do I care about Elizabeth Webber's brat? Bury him with Morgan if you'd like, traumatize him until he is as quiet as a mouse and drop him a room next to his mommy, just make sure the he can't squeal," Claudia said, with a dismissive tone of voice.

Johnny felt sick to his stomach. Claudia was a lot of things, but she didn't hurt children. She had been hurt as a child so she kept her business clear of children. The fact that this—darker and evil version of her—didn't care what happened to an innocent boy and was willing to have him killed or worse made Johnny felt ill down into the depths of his soul. He couldn't stay in this vehicle for another second. He felt bile rush up his throat, and he clenched his eyes tightly closed when he felt a gust of cold air about him.

His feet were steady and flat on solid ground, but Johnny didn't open his eyes right away. His mind tried to process what he just witness. "C-castiel, did…did she succeed? Did she hurt Jason and Cameron?" Johnny asked, and by God, he feared the answer.

Castiel just gave him a sorrowful look.

"How could she do this?" Johnny asked, tears burning his eyes. He smashed his hands into the brick wall beside him. The pain gave him something to focus on other the emotions careening through him at a rate too fast for him to handle. His world hadn't flipped upside down, but was moving around like it was on a rollercoaster. He couldn't handle this. He had to get off this ride.

"Your sister…is a complicated soul. The path life carved out for her would never allowed her to be what one considers a good person, but without you in her life, there was no reason for her to be better than what she was," Castiel explained, no judgment in the angel's tone. In fact, the angel was matter-of-fact about for having seen the best and worst of people's souls. "While Claudia was too set in her ways to truly turn herself around, you gave her the little bit of hope and goodness that made her be better than the worst that she was capable of. You inspired her to do right by you, even if she could not do right by herself."

Johnny swallowed, thickly. His sanity felt like it had been scrapped raw by the memories that he had just witness, and he felt vomit rise up the back of his throat. He whirled around to scream or yell at the angel, because he didn't know what else to do when he saw that Castiel was no longer there. Instead, he saw a scene that destroyed him completely.

Snow fell from the heavens, covering the ground in an untouched blanket of white and a figure laid prone on the ground. There was a thin layer of snowflakes that had coated the female's body, and her computer bag laid a few feet away as if tossed or dropped in a struggle. Her limbs were bent in unnatural angles, and her face was pale and grey, her lips had long since turned blue. At first, he had almost not recognized her. She looked so different with no life or joy sparkling in her eyes, and he stumbled over to her on unsteady limbs.

His knees gave out when he reached her side, and her name fell off his lips in a broken sob, "Georgie…"

His Georgie was lying there, dead in the snow. Discarded like someone would a piece of trash, and forgotten. His entire soul twisted with agony, and he let out a scream when his arms went through her. He couldn't touch her. He couldn't hold her! Tears of grief and pain rolled down his cheeks, Johnny felt his heart shatter inside of him. "No, no, no…please no," he croaked out, through his gut-wrenching sobs. "Please no….not you, too. If anyone could have been safe in this world…" Slowly Georgie's body dissolved out of existence, and Johnny was left in the black abyss in his despair. "Castiel! Castiel!"

The angel did not reply.

"Change it back!" Johnny roared, whirling around. He tried to make his way through the darkness, but his limbs felt heavy and he felt like he was walking through water with the current rushing against him. A coldness spread through his limbs, stealing away his sense second by second. He felt very weak, and he could feel the fight being ripped right out of his soul. His eyelids began to flutter and—

"Johnny?"

 _Georgie?_

"Johnny, please wake up."

His eyes suddenly fluttered open slightly, and then he winced back from the bright light, cringing back into the hospital bed. He felt agony rippled through his body from head to toe, as if he had been slammed repeatedly against a brick wall.

"He's waking up!" Elizabeth's voice reached his ears.

"Johnny?" Georgie's voice came next.

Johnny murmured in surprised, feeling her touch against his temple. She gently stroked his hair, and he felt his heart expanded in his chest with hope and joy. He forced his eyes open, just hoping to see her one last time and when he saw her smiling down at him with tears glistening in her eyes, he felt a breath stutter through him. "Georgie," he croaked out, his throat feeling scratchy and sore. "You're really here."

"Of course I am here," Georgie said, with a watery laugh. "Do you have any idea of much I've been worried about you?"

"What…what do you mean?" Johnny frowned, his mind still addled.

"You've been out since the gas explosion at the Metro Court," Jason explained, handing Georgie a cup of water. "You were thrown back and hit the wall."

"The doctors were worried you were going to slip into a coma given how bad a concussion you had," Elizabeth said, quietly.

"A gas explosion?" He gasped out. "N-not the mob?"

Georgie helped him adjust the bed, and then gently aided him in sipping the water. His throat immediately felt better, and he reached out to touch the woman he loved. The palm of his hand slid into hers, and to feel her there and alive nearly choked him up. He blinked away the tears, his heart thumping in her chest and he stared at her like he couldn't believe she existed.

"No, it wasn't anything mob related," Elizabeth reassured him, with a half-smile.

"Apparently Carly hasn't been keeping things up to code, and the explosion happened due to a gas link in the kitchen. One of the cooks lit a match, and everything spiraled from there," Jason informed him, quietly.

Johnny couldn't believe it. Had he imagined it all? Georgie being hurt, and then his wish? The hellish alternative reality? "I—" He trailed off, his brows furrowed into a knot. "I had a horrid nightmare. I dreamed that…that you were dead, and I couldn't bring you back," he whispered out, his dark eyes looking up at Georgie.

"Hey," Georgie stopped him, caressing his jaw tenderly. Her greenish hazel eyes stared down at him worriedly, with a deep frown on her face. "It was just a dream. I'm alright, and we're alright. Everything is going to be alright, I promise."

Elizabeth and Jason glanced at each other, silently agree to give the couple a private moment. "If you need anything, we will be out in the waiting room," the nurse told them, with a smile. She left the room with her hand in Jason's, and the door shut behind them softly.

Johnny released a breath, leaning into Georgie's touch as if he would never feel it again. His hand reached up, covering her palm with his and he pressed a kiss to her palm reverently. The nightmare had been all too real and the fear that she had been lost to him still burned his soul. "There was this…rush of heat, and then I remember being thrown. I think I remember that, and the last thought was that something bad had happened to you. My worst fear is that the…darkness of my life touching you," he told her, his voice trembling violently. A couple of tears slipped out down his cheek, and Georgie leaned down to rest her forehead against hers. "If you being here is a dream, I don't want to wake up."

"You're real, and I'm real," Georgie whispered out, pressing a kiss to his lips.

Johnny kissed her back, like a dying man. His tongue swept deep into her mouth, savoring the taste of her that reminded him of honey with a touch of spice. He only broke the kiss when he needed air, and his head throbbed painfully. "I will never get enough of kissing you, you know that?" Johnny said, with a grin.

"You can kiss me for as long as you want when you get better. For now? You need to rest," Georgie told him, with a teasing smile.

Johnny stared up, soulfully before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. She melted into his embrace, and he never in his entire life wanted to let her go. He didn't know what drew his attention to the window on the door, but he raised his gaze, feeling a jolt rush through his body when he saw Castiel standing there. He blinked his eyes hard, and the angel disappeared.

"Johnny?" Georgie pulled back, looking at him quizzically.

"It's…it's nothing," Johnny whispered, after a moment. He looked up at her, and held her hand tightly. "Just…just stay with me, alright? Just until I've fallen asleep."

"Always," Georgie promised.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

While we aren't entirely pleased with how this chapter turned out, we are happy enough with it to post it. I may get rewritten in the future, but hope that you enjoy it! :D

Inspiration: Obviously, we love the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" and that heavily inspired this one shot. It was also Christmas so we really wanted to get at least one Christmas story done. We have another one, but it doesn't look like it'll be done before Christmas time. Maybe Christmas in July, if we can't get it up by the end of December or early January. At first, we thought about using Liason, but we really love Gejo, and thought they would be a good platform to show everyone. And since they never got to be together on the show, they are a blank canvas that we can built up with bits of history from GH and then taking off the GH cannon track to make us happy because honestly, we aren't happy with the BS the show has put us through. Anyways, we hoped you enjoyed.

Sam's Guilt or Innocence: Honestly, we left that ambiguous for you, the readers to decide. It is meant to be read in a way that you could form your own opinion about Sam's actions, and how to feel about them, given what had happened.

"What a Wonderful Life, Port Charles" Soundtrack

1.) "How Love Will I Love You" by Ellie Goulding

2.) "Wide Eyed" by Billy Lockett

3.) "Open Your Eyes" by Aviators

4.) "Broken" by Lighthouse

5.) "Medicine" by Daughter

6.) "Angel Eyes" by Gideon Emery

7.) "Flicker" by Niall Horan

8.) "Don't Let Me Down" by the Chainsmokers

9.) "Believe" by Hollywood Undead

10.) "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran ft. Beyonce

RRs are appreciated.


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